Chocolate chip caramel cookies are always a fan favorite. They’re soft and chewy and perfect for days! Best served warm to keep that caramel gooey and to warm your heart (and stomach) on a cold day!
These are absolutely splendid to bake for the holiday season and great to give as gifts to family, friends, and neighbors. Even if some of your favorite cookie lovers don’t live nearby, they’re also a great cookie to ship because they stay soft for so long.
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Warning! Eating all 12 in one sitting will give you a serious bellyache. However, if you call it recipe testing, that stomach ache has just turned into a productive research session.
This is what I did the first time and I have no regrets.
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Tips for the Best Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookies
Tip 1
These cookies have absolutely no chill. Literally. You don’t need to chill them. Which is great for us impatient, lazy bakers.
Tip 2
Roll your dough balls so that they fit perfectly in your hand when your hand is cupped. Of course, depending on hand size, this might mean you make more or less cookies, but it’s the perfect size for these.
Tip 3
Press your caramel pieces into the tops of each dough ball. DON’T add them to the dough beforehand because they will ooze out and burn or sink to the bottom of your cookies and burn. Either way, adding the caramel pieces to the dough will result in burning.
Placing a few pieces on top will keep these cookies from burning and still be extra caramel-y.
I normally only place 3 pieces on before baking. This makes it less likely for the caramel pieces to fall off and…ya know…burn.
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Tip 4
However, the caramel is melty, as it should be. And occasionally, some of the caramel might ooze like a golden river off the top of the cookie at the end of baking. Simply take a spatula after they come out of the oven, and put it back on top.
Like this cookie…
Tip 5
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, you can push in a few extra chocolate chips and caramel pieces. This makes them more aesthetically pleasing and really, who doesn’t love extra chocolate and caramel?
Tip 6
These are so, SO good warm when the caramel is ooey gooey and melty. So if you have leftovers, I highly recommend warming these up in the microwave for 15ish seconds.
Tip 7
If you don’t want to get overwhelmed with your holiday baking plans, simply make a large batch of cookie dough, roll them into their balls and then freeze them in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months!
Being prepared is a great relief for the unexpected surprise of your in laws showing up unannounced for Christmas.
Ship these Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookies!
Tip 8
Like I said, these are great cookies to ship to friends around the country. To do this sustainably while still ensuring they arrive safely, follow these quick shipping instructions.
Refrigerate your cookies until they are cold throughout and there is no melty business going on with the chips.
Get some of these recycled bakers boxes. They are completely compostable/recyclable/plastic-free. These also fit nicely inside the medium Flat Rate priority USPS boxes that are free at your local post office.
Then place your cookies in these compostable resealable bags. (They’re like Ziploc only not horrible for the planet). I tend to stack 6 cookies in each bag. It’s not perfect but it works and gets everything there fresh and tasty!
Line your little box with some newspaper, or reuse some of that tissue paper you’ve been hoarding. Then stuff your flat rate box with newspaper and seal with this more eco-friendly paper packing tape.
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Why the cornstarch?
Corn starch helps keep cookies tender and soft for days. It also helps make the cookies thicker and beautiful.
The science behind this is that essentially, cornstarch helps soften the harsh proteins in flour. But I’ll be honest, I directly stole that information from Jessie Unicorn Moore.
And before I make a science fool of myself, just check out her post on the role corn starch plays in baking if you want to learn more!
Either way, corn starch is a great thing, an important thing for these chocolate chip caramel cookies! Don’t skip it.
Related Recipes
German Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Pie Crust Cookies
Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookies
Ingredients Â
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- â…“ cup granulated sugar
- â…” cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ cup flour 210g
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp cornstarch
- â…” cup chocolate chips
- 14 Soft Caramel Candies cut into quarters
InstructionsÂ
- Cream together your butter and sugars with hand mixer on high until smooth and light (about 4 minutes).
- Add your egg and vanilla. Beat until just combined. Mix in your flour, salt, and baking powder. Continue mixing until a soft dough has formed. Fold in your chocolate chips. Cover your dough tightly with a reusable bowl cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour and up to 4 days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats.
- Remove from fridge and allow to sit for 10 minutes on the counter. Scoop 12-14 balls of dough and place on your baking sheet 1 inch apart. Stick a few of your caramel candies into the top of each cookie dough ball.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. They may not look done but take them out of the oven after 12 minutes max. They will continue to bake some as they cool. Overbaking will ruin the softness.
- Eat warm for extra gooey caramel. Store extras in an airtight container and heat up for 15 seconds to remelt the caramel!
Notes
Nutrition
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Final Notes…
These chocolate chip caramel cookies are just the best, amirite? Soft, chewy, perfect for gifting, and all around delicious will quickly become one of the most requested cookies in your house!
Once you’ve made these tasty chocolate chip caramel cookies, make sure you take a picture, share it on Instagram and make sure to tag me (@handheld_eats) for a fun shoutout! I love seeing you creations and really, if you don’t post it on Instagram, did it even happen?
And of course, check out all of our other cookie recipes as well to keep that sweet tooth satisfied!
Sharing is caring! Do you know someone who would would love these cookies!? Share this post with them!
See you soon, friends!
xoxo,
Angel
